Environment

VOA – A former Iranian deputy environment chief is criticizing the global environmental community’s lack of public advocacy on behalf of eight jailed Iranian conservationists whose trial began in Tehran this week.

CHRI – First Half of Indictment Lacks Evidence, Relies on Statements Made Under Extreme Duress In their first trial session since being detained in Iran one year ago, eight conservationists learned today that the first half of their indictment is based on one detainee’s retracted forced “confessions.” 

PayvandNews – With water is released into Zayanderud river in central province of Isfahan, the citizens are exhilarated by seeing the river alive again.   Water has filled the area once again bringing back the glory to the area, and people have gathered around it to take pictures as the river will be alive only for 20 days.

PayvandNews – The International Conference of Sustainable Cities and the 19th Energy Globe World Award started in the city of Yazd, central Iran, on Monday and will continue through Tuesday (Jan. 28-29). The two-day event has gathered the leading mayors and municipality experts from around the world to exchange and share their experiences and research results about all aspects of …

Iran-HRM – The Khuzestan governorate’s Director General of Social Affairs said “According to estimates, 850,000 Khuzestan residents are deprived and live in slums,” the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Al-Monitor – Pirouz Hanachi is the third mayor of Tehran elected by the City Council in a period of less than seven months. As part of his drive to establish a closer connection with the city’s residents, Hanachi recently joined a campaign dubbed “car-free Tuesdays.” The campaign, originally launched in December 2015, has never become widely popular, remaining an unfulfilled dream mostly pursued …

CHRI – One Dead, Eight Others At Grave Risk for Harm Detainees, Jailed for 12 Months, Denied Counsel, Could Face Death Penalty

PayvandNews – Environmentalists took up the 10-year challenge on social media, posting photos of the lakes and wetlands drying up across the country, to raise awareness about the devastating impact of climate change on the environment in Iran, Mehr reported on Saturday.

AP — Fissures appear along roads while massive holes open up in the countryside, their gaping maws a visible sign from the air of something Iranian authorities now openly acknowledge: the area around Tehran is literally sinking.

Radiofarda – Increase in the volume of desertification and reduction of vegetation, combined with other problematic factors, have led to the invasion of haze in most provinces in Iran.